The 50 Greatest Movies of the 1970s

The '70s were a time of major innovation for cinema and storytelling. Not only did these years generate many of the greatest movies of all time, but this decade paved the way for all films that came afterward.

Before mind-melting effects and CGI dominated the screens, great film depending on brilliantly crafted storylines, stellar acting and direction that made the most of what was possible. Even more than 40 years later, these movies still stand the test of time.

Keep clicking through to discover the top 50 generation-defining films of the 1970s.

50. The French Connection (1971)

Looking for an action-thriller that'll keep you on the edge of your seat? Look no further than The French Connection. Based on the book of the same name and based on a true story, the film stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider as NYPD detectives in constant pursuit of a successful French smuggler who always manages to elude their grasp. This film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay, and all of those academy voters weren't wrong.

(The French Connection via 20th Century Fox)

 

49. Moonraker (1979)

Moonraker is just one of a number of James Bond thrillers released in the 1970s, and its premise is perhaps the most outlandish. Following Roger Moore as Bond, it shows the spy globe-trekking as he follows the trail of a stolen space shuttle from California, to Venice, to Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon. Eventually, this chase after the villain Hugo Drax leads James Bond to space for the first (and so far, only) time.

(Moonraker via United Artists)

 

48. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Fiddler on the Roof is an incredible musical, comedy and drama all rolled into one. It was adapted from the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name and starred Israeli multi-hyphenate Topol as Tevye the Dairyman, who also played him in the stage version. Tevye is the father of five daughters, but as they grow up, he struggles to maintain his Jewish faith and culture among his family as his children decide to marry for love—and as a Tsar evicts his people from their home. The moving film won Academy Awards for Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score.

(Fiddler on the Roof via United Artists)

 

47. Watership Down (1978)

Watership Down may look like a cute and cuddly animated film about bunny rabbits on the surface, but don't be fooled. The movie, based on the Richard Adams novel of the same name, has traumatized many a child because it simply doesn't hold back in its depiction of the harm human beings can do to nature. In this story that's been compared to The Lord of the Rings, a bunny called Fiver has a vision about his home warren being destroyed. He's only able to convince a few friends to join him in search of a new home—and when his vision comes true, their mission proves even tougher than anticipated.

(Watership Down via Nepenthe Productions)

 

46. Every Which Way but Loose (1978)

Clint Eastwood is not known for taking on comedic roles, which is exactly what makes the action-comedy Every Which Way but Loose one-of-a-kind. In the film, he plays a trucker who shares the small house behind his family home with his brother's pet orangutan, Clyde. After he hits it off and falls hard for an aspiring country singer, she disappears suddenly, and he decides to travel to Colorado in search of her. A road trip ensues with his brother (and the orangutan) in tow, and with an ever-growing list of new enemies pursuing them along the way, with the situation getting wackier by the minute.

(Every Which Way but Loose via Warner Bros.)

 

45. The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter is a dark but gripping war drama about three best friends—played by Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken and John Savage—who work as steelworkers in an industrial Pennsylvania town before they're sent off to fight in the Vietnam War. Things certainly aren't perfect at home, but being irrevocably changed by the horrors of war will make them even worse for those who do make it back. This film was another Oscar favorite, winning awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound and Best Film Editing .

(The Deer Hunter via United Pictures)

 

44. The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist may be the most famous (and parodied) horror film of all time, and for good reason. Based on the novel of the same name, it depicts the terrifying story of a 12-year-old girl possessed by a demon, and the two priests her mother hires to perform an exorcism and save her. The visual aspects of the horror have often been copied, but never replicated, and it's considered by some to be the scariest movie ever made.

(The Exorcist via Warner Bros.)

 

43. The Warriors (1979)

The Warriors is a unique kind of action thriller. It follows a New York City gang called The Warriors who find themselves targets after they're framed for the murder of the gang leader who was working to unite all the city's gangs. They must make a 30-mile journey home to Coney Island with all of New York's toughest gang members out to get them, and it is not going to be an easy ride.

(The Warriors via Paramount Pictures)

 

42. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian tale with incredibly striking imagery and a somewhat ambiguous moral stance, which seems intentional on the part of inimitable director Stanley Kubrick. The story follows a charismatic and sympathetic but brutally vicious and violent young man called Alex. After he goes on a bloody crime spree, he's captured and sent to prison, where after two years, he volunteers to undergo rehabilitation in the form of psychological conditioning. When it works, he's thrown back into society, only to find himself defenseless from his former friends as well as those he wronged, as well as stripped of the things that make him human.

(A Clockwork Orange via Warner Bros.)

 

41. The Sting (1973)

Inspired by the true story of con-men Fred and Charley Gondorff, The Sting takes place toward the end of the Great Depression. It follows two grifters played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford who set out to con a mob moss through an elaborate ruse, brilliantly executed over the course of the film. The thrilling caper won a whopping seven Oscars, including awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing.

(The Sting via Universal Pictures)

 

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40. American Graffiti (1973)

American Graffiti is a classic coming of age comedy that aims to capture what it was like growing up as a teenager in the '60s amid a budding rock 'n' roll culture. It follows a few teenage friends on the very last night of summer vacation before they each have to go off to their respective colleges, and the conflicts that arise as they deal with their relationships, their futures and the pressures of considering what their adult lives will hold for them.

(American Graffiti via Universal Pictures)

 

39. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

We told you that Bond would be back! This Roger Moore outing as the world-famous spy finds him facing off against a villain called Karl Stromberg, who wants to destroy the world and begin an entirely new society in an underwater lair called Atlantis. Along the way, Bond teams up with Agent Triple X, a Soviet KGB spy played by Barbara Bach, and fights the now-iconic, metal-toothed Bond baddie Jaws. This one also features the famous amphibious Lotus Esprit, allowing Bond and Triple X to travel deep into the ocean in style.

(The Spy Who Loved Me via United Artists)

 

38. The Aristocats (1970)

Disney managed to start off the decade very strong with the release of The Aristocats, which wound up being both a critical and box-office smash. The animated film follows a group of well-to-do cats owned by the wealthy Madame Adelaide Bonfamille. When a very jealous servant hears that the cats will be left everything in her will, he sets out to get rid of the cats, but with the help of a stray alley cat, they manage to reclaim what's rightfully theirs. While some of the music might be a little bit outdated by today's standards, it's still a worthwhile romp.

(The Aristocats via Buena Vista Distribution)

 

37. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture show is a little bit tough to put in one box, blending musical, horror and comedy into one delirious film that's become a huge cult classic. Based on the musical stage production of the same name, it finds newly engaged couple Brad and Janet stranded in the middle of a storm due to a flat tire. When they go to a nearby castle to phone for help,  they find it populated by strangely dressed people celebrating some kind of convention, led by the evil mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter, who isn't at all what he seems. It only gets weirder as he attempts to seduce them both and the truth comes to light.

(The Rocky Horror Picture Show via 20th Century Fox)

 

36. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Diamonds Are Forever was Sean Connery's last foray as James Bond—at least in one of the official Eon Productions films—and saw his return to the franchise after George Lazenby played the character in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. This time around, Bond must pose as a diamond smuggler to infiltrate Las Vegas crime ring—and stop a plot to destroy Washington with a giant laser in space.

(Diamonds Are Forever via United Artists)

 

35. The Bad News Bears (1976)

What's better than an underdog sports comedy? The Bad News Bears stars Walter Matthau as a now-disgraced, former minor-league baseball pitcher who's tasked with coaching The Bears, a youth team made out of the worst players in the league. After horribly losing their first game, the coach recruits a girl named Amanda and a troublemaker called Kelly to the team, and manages to turn the team around by fostering the talents they do have.

(The Bad News Bears via Paramount Pictures)

 

34. Carrie (1976)

The '70s were quite the decade for horror, and the supernatural thriller Carrie is a prime example of that. Based on Stephen King's debut novel of the same, it centers around Carrie, a shy, bullied teenage girl with powerful telekinetic powers, who must deal with her religious fanatic of a mother. After her school tormentors are punished for their behavior, they enact a revenge plot that will see Carrie humiliated in front of the entire school… unaware of the wrath they'll all face.

(Carrie via United Artists)

 

33. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind, written and directed by Steven Spielberg, has become one of the best-known sci-fi films in history. It follows a man's dogged quest to contact alien life after he spies an unidentified flying object. Despite being told that there's a perfectly rational (and earthly) explanation for what he saw, he dedicates his life to figuring out the truth, no matter the cost.

(Close Encounters of the Third Kind via Columbia Pictures)

 

32. Animal House (1978)

Animal House is perhaps the quintessential college comedy. Directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi in his first big-screen role, it focuses on two college freshmen, Larry and Kent, who decide they want to join a fraternity. After being rejected by the reputable Omega Theta Pi house, they instead join the misfit house Delta Tau Chi, where they're happily accepted—only to find that the school dean wants to shut the house down.

(Animal House via Universal Pictures)

 

31. Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood may be best known for his Westerns, but he's no one-trick pony, and Dirty Harry and its sequels are proof of that. The action-thriller follows Harry Callahan, a San Francisco police inspector tasked with hunting the Scorpio Killer, based on the real-life Zodiac Killer. During his hunt, the action and intrigue never let up. It's also generated some of the most memorable one-liners in cinema. Any time you hear someone utter, "Go ahead. Make my day," you have Dirty Harry to thank for that.

(Dirty Harry via Warner Bros.)

 

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30. Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

When it comes to road trip comedies, you don't get much better than Smokey and the Bandit. It follows two bootleggers, played by Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed, who are tasked with getting their cargo from Atlanta, Georgia to Texarkana, Texas in just 28 hours. While one carries the merchandise, Reynolds' Bandit distracts them with a merry chase in his Pontiac Trans Am, making him the target for a spirited Texas sheriff.

(Smokey and the Bandit via Universal Pictures)

 

29. Grease (1978)

Few classic rom-com musicals are more beloved than 1978's Grease, based on the musical of the same name. Though at first glance, greaser Danny and Australian transfer student Sandy couldn't be more different, they find themselves irreversibly drawn to each other, with their romance detailed through incredible song and dance. There's something transfixing about the 1950s setting, and the timelessness of teenage love and rebellion.

(Grease via Paramount Pictures)

 

28. Rocky (1976)

Rocky may have not invented the sports drama formula, but the film did perfect it. Starring Sylvester Stallone as the titular Rocky Balboa, it follows the rags to riches story of a boxer who goes from a kid in the slums to fighting in the world heavyweight championship. Rocky's rise to the top is just as riveting as his big final watch, and the film won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing at the Oscars.

(Rocky via United Artists)

 

27. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Mel Brooks is an undeniable comedy genius, and his satirical Western comedy Blazing Saddles is a special showcase of his wit and unique perspective on the world. Starring Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart, the Black sheriff in a white town, and Gene Wilder as "The Waco Kid," the film hilariously tackles the depiction of race in Hollywood Westerns while also telling a wholly original story of its own.

(Blazing Saddles via Warner Bros.)

 

26. Serpico (1973)

Some of the very best films are based on true stories, as is the case with 1973's Serpico. The biographical crime movie is about the life of real-life NYPD officer Frank Serpico, a whistleblower who went undercover to discover, and expose, mass corruption in the police force. The film covers a whopping 12 years of his career, showing the lengths he went to in order to do the right thing.

(Serpico via Paramount Pictures)

 

25. Halloween (1978)

Halloween was a film that spawned a massive franchise, and is today one of cinema's most notable horror stories, with the masked Michael Myers being one of the best-known horror villains. After the killer Michael Myers escapes from a sanitarium, he returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois to seek out his next victims, with teenager Laurie Strode finding herself in the center of the chaos.

(Halloween via Compass International Pictures)

 

24. House (1977)

The Japanese horror film House, also known as Hausu, is one weird flick, but it's the idiosyncrasies of the film that make it so memorable—and so horrifying. It follows seven schoolgirls who travel to the countryside to visit an aunt of one of the students, only to find that supernatural events surround the home—and that it's quite possible that none of them will make it out alive. With striking visuals and effects that border on uncanny, it's unforgettable in the best ways.

(House via Toho)

 

23. Superman (1978)

Superman practically invented the modern superhero film, being the first big-budget film of its kind, and paving the way for the popularity of the genre today. This film tells Superman's origin story as he fights the evil mastermind Lex Luthor—and even turns back time to save those he loves. Christopher Reeve's Superman is a kind, noble and courageous hero than anyone could look up to, and it's this kind of characterization that's sorely lacking in recent films about the character.

(Superman via Warner Bros.)

 

22. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python remains one of England's most distinguished comedy groups to this very day, and their first feature-length narrative film is beloved for its raucous antics and its endlessly quotable script. This comedy takes place during the Middle Ages as King Arthur and his knights search for the Holy Grail, facing increasingly bizarre and hilarious obstacles along every step.

(Monty Python and the Holy Grail via Cinema 5)

 

21. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Based on the detective novel of the same name by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express makes one of the classic mysteries and makes it iconic.  This story follows world-famous detective Hercule Poirot aboard the Orient Express. When a mysterious murder of a business tycoon takes place, Poirot is fittingly tasked with solving the crime, only to discover that everyone on board has their own reasons to be a suspect. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast starring Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery and more, you'll want to watch this one to the very end.

(Murder on the Orient Express via Paramount Pictures)

 

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20. Chinatown (1974)

Chinatown is a thrilling neo-noir mystery in which nothing is as it seems. Jack Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, an L.A. detective who's hired by a woman called Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband. The investigation turns up information he doesn't inspect—including the fact that he was hired by an imposter, and when Mr. Mulwray is found dead, an even bigger whodunit it unveiled. The twisty drama also won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

(Chinatown via  Paramount Pictures)

 

19. Mad Max (1979)

When you think of dystopian thrillers, you might first think of more modern takes like The Hunger Games and Divergent, but we think of the Mad Max franchise. The character's initial outing shows a world not long after the world runs its oil resources dry, resulting in mass conflict, destruction and hunger. After the titular officer's family is killed, he sets off on a quest to avenge his loved ones.

(Mad Max via Warner Bros.)

 

18. Live and Let Die (1973)

Live and Let Die is perhaps the most riveting Bond film of the '70s, seeing Roger Moore in the role of James Bond for the very first time. After a number of agents are killed, James Bond investigates their deaths and soon finds himself next in line to be killed. He must hunt down the Caribbean dictator Kananga, befriending Solitaire, a tarot card-reader with psychic abilities, and trekking across the world to put a stop to his crimes.

(Live and Let Die via United Artists)

 

17. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

By 1979, Star Trek has been around on television for 13 years, and it was about time that the groundbreaking series would finally be adapted for the big screen. Bringing the show's cast into their first feature film, the story begins with an unknown alien entity called V'Ger begins destroying everything in sight while on a crash course to Earth, and has the former crew reunite aboard the USS Enterprise to stop V'Ger and save the planet.

(Star Trek: The Motion Picture via Paramount Pictures)

 

16. Enter the Dragon (1973)

Enter the Dragon is notable not just for being widely regarded as Bruce Lee's best film and for being one of the greatest martial arts movies of all time, but for being the last movie Lee completed. It sees Lee's character participating in a martial arts competition to infiltrate the headquarters of the man whose gang killed his sister, combining kung fu combat and blaxploitation into a singularly engaging experience.

(Enter the Dragon via Warner Bros.)

 

15. The Jerk (1979)

Steve Martin's comedic genius is on full show in the 1979 film The Jerk. In the film, Martin stars as Navin Johnson, a white child adopted by a Black family, who only realizes he's white upon entering adulthood. Shocked, he decides to head to St. Louis to discover more about his heritage—and himself, resulting in comical highs, as well as lows, he falls in love and tries to become a successful inventor.

(The Jerk via Universal Pictures)

 

14. Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder made some fantastic films together in their time, and Young Frankenstein just might be the best in the bunch. The film follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, medical lecturer and great-grandson of the reviled Victor Frankenstein. After inheriting his grandfather's estate, he begins recreating the old experiments that took place there, making a monster of his own. When Frederick's fianceé shows up, the monster kidnaps her, and she falls in love with it—leaving him to come up with a new plan.

(Young Frankenstein via 20th Century Fox)

 

13. Tommy (1975)

Tommy is another weird one, but you wouldn't expect anything different from writer and director Ken Russell. It's based on the 1969 rock opera album of the same name by iconic rock band The Who, bringing the soundtrack to life in increasingly psychedelic ways, and starring frontman Roger Daltrey as the title character. After a traumatic event leaves Tommy unable to hear, see or speak, he becomes an idol after becoming a pinball master. Finally, when he does regain his senses, he becomes a religious figure to his followers, who ultimately reject his teachings.

(Tommy via Columbia)

 

12. All the President's Men (1976)

All the President's Men is an incredible political thriller based on a true story. It follows Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the young journalists who investigated the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to Richard Nixon's resignation from the office of the president of the United States. Because of the importance of their research, and the threat it poses to their safety, this film is a thrill from start to finish.

(All the President's Men via Warner Bros.)

 

11. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a powerfully moving and tragic story about the treatment of people in mental institutions and what happens when individuality is stripped from us. It stars Jack Nicholson as Randle McMurphy, the newest patient in a mental institution in the '60s, who faked insanity to get out of prison, only to discover that the treatment of patients there is even worse. The film also won the "Big Five" at the Academy Awards, with Jack Nicholson winning Best Actor, Louise Fletcher winning Best Actress, and the film itself winning Best Direction, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

(One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest via United Artists)

 

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10. Network (1976)

In today's modern world, we need thought-provoking satirical films like Network more than ever. The film focuses around the failing fictional TV network called UBS and its news crew. When seasoned anchorman Howard Beale finds out he's being fired to make way for fresh blood, he goes on an impassioned rant on live TV—and garnering a huge audience. When the network discovers that controversy generates ratings, they start to develop even more outrageous programming, taking things to dangerous limits.

(Network via United Artists)

 

9. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

This follow-up to George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead takes the zombie genre in a new and more thoughtful direction. The film followers four survivors of an outbreak who find refuge in a mall, blocking the entrances with trucks to keep out the zombies. After another of them is bitten, and then killed, they spent months hiding out there before a biker gang infiltrates, causing all chaos to break loose when the undead invade, forcing one last daring escape.

(Dawn of the Dead via Laurel Group Inc.)

 

8. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Gene Wilder was really on a roll in the '70s. This film was based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but the title change was entirely apt, as Wilder's Willy Wonka really was the star of the show. After children around the world compete to find five golden tickets hidden inside chocolate bar wrappers, the winners are given exclusive tours inside of Willy Wonka's famous and wonderfully majestic factory. While the spoiled children get their just desserts, the poor kind-hearted Charlie Bucket receives everything he's ever wanted.

(Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory via Paramount Pictures)

 

7. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

You wouldn't think that a film based on a true story about a bank robbery and hostage situation gone wrong could also be a great black comedy, but that's exactly what Dog Day Afternoon is. It stars Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzik, a former bank teller who decides to rob a bank for strangely noble reasons, and even after taking the workers hostage tries to treat them kindly, and even forms a kind of friendship with them. Both in real life and in the movie, the man becomes a kind of folk hero, even as things go disastrously wrong as his demands become increasingly unfeasible.

(Dog Day Afternoon via Warner Bros.)

 

6. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Apocalypse Now is one of the great films about the horrors of the Vietnam War, with scenes and visuals that remain hauntingly poignant to this day. It follows Martin Sheen as Ben Willard,  a U.S. Army captain tasked with locating and taking down Colonel Kurtz, an officer who has apparently gone mad and is blatantly defying orders as he continues waging war. As he travels upriver to carry out his mission, Willard himself finds himself questioning everything himself, and that his task is even deadlier than it appears.

(Apocalypse Now via United Artists)

 

5. The Muppet Movie (1979)

Few things could be better than the Muppets on a road trip, and this sweet and hilarious comedy does not disappoint. It's an origin story of sorts, beginning with Kermit deciding to pursue show business and trek from Florida to Hollywood, meeting characters including Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Gonzo along the way—and being pursued by the malicious frog-leg restauranteur Doc Hopper along the way.

(The Muppet Movie via Associated Film Distribution)

 

4. Jaws (1975)

Jaws is the movie that made us all terrified of sharks—and gave us the perfect simple theme song to accompany those fears. When a great white shark starts attacking beachgoers at Amity Island, the chief of police decides the best course of action is to close the beaches, but the mayor refuses—especially over the profitable 4th of July weekend. When the attacks don't stop, the chief recruits a marine biologist and a pro shark hunter to take it down before it's too late.

(Jaws via Universal Pictures)

 

3. Star Wars (1977)

Today, Star Wars is one of the most profitable franchises in all of history, and it all started in 1977 with the original Star Wars movie—before it was subtitled A New Hope. George Lucas's epic space fantasy sees a poor kid from a desert planet grow up fast as he learns about his family legacy and an unknowable universal power called The Force. As he leaves home for the first time, he quickly befriends a smuggler and a princess, and becomes the key to taking down an evil Empire's most dangerous weapon, a space station called the Death Star.

(Star Wars via 20th Century Fox)

 

2. Alien (1979)

We don't think there's a finer science-fiction horror film than Ridley Scott's original Alien. The film essentially follows a group of space truckers who are asked to investigate a distress signal on a nearby moon. When they do, they find a destroyed alien ship, and one of the crew is attacked by a creature that bursts out of an egg, latching onto his face. Back on the ship, it detaches, and he appears to have recovered, before a new kind of creature horribly bursts from his chest—and soon grows into something terrifying that threatens the entire crew. The alien Xenomorph remains one of film's great movie monsters, and it all began here.

(Alien via 20th Century Fox)

 

1. The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather is a cinematic masterpiece widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It takes place in the '40s in New York City and follows the Corleones, a respected crime family with great power within the city. Michael is the youngest son, and his father, the don of the family, sees his incredible potential and wants a different life for him outside of the world of crime. But when family circumstances make that impossible, Michael rises to the occasion to follow in his father's footsteps, becoming even more cruel and cunning in the process. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, and is a must-see for cinema-lovers everywhere.

(The Godfather via Paramount Pictures)

 

Love these '70s flicks? Click HERE for all the must-watch films of the '80s.